Creating a Legacy Video on your family, your life, or your business has never been easier, technically. The equipment available today makes taping your masterpiece, affordable. Legacy videos can be saved on a DVD or posted online. Theses videos are a generous, priceless gift that strengthens the bond between generations. Allowing your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to understand your life circumstances and lessons can inspire and impact those lives in unimagined ways.
The more difficult aspect of creating a video lies in the creative, intangible approach. Where do you start? What specifics of someone's life do you include? The task can be overwhelming. Because capturing the best content can be daunting, many well meaning families postpone or drop this important project for good. Don't let that happen!
Loved ones deserve to know who you are and were. Accomplishments come in all forms. Small acts often reap huge benefits. Everyday deeds, thoughtful gestures, gentle encouragement all can change someone's life for the better. An easy place to begin, is with a blank piece of paper. Decide if you want a chronological reporting of events or if you want to focus on one's essence and personal stories that capture signifant events in one's life.
Once that decision is made, make a single circle in the center of the page. In that circle write who the video is about, one person or a couple, or a family? Once that's decided, make seven more circles, in a circle surrounding the center. Connect those circles to the center with a line, like spokes of a wheel.
In each new circle write one idea that had a major impact on the center's life: gradeschool? High school? The Army, Navy? Death of a parent? First love? Divorce? Everyone knows the turning points of their life. I suggest you tell stories that include those, "Ah-Ha" moments that change the course of a life. Those moments have impact to viewers and are most memorable.
Once your circles are filled with topics, it's much easier to create interview questions to keep the story teller on track and focused. It's all about the interview! Make your subject comfortable. Maintain eye contact and give plenty of encouragement through nodding, smiling, and interested looks. It can take several hours to cover several topics. I suggest you tape several conversations as opposed to trying to get all the information at once. Make this a fun project! It's not a job. Rather it's a joyful way to connnect with loved ones and let them enjoy and treasure your presense when you're not around.
About the Author:
Kimberly Schenk owns My Story Studios. We help families all over the US tell their personal stories and preserve then in outstanding, professionally made videos on DVD. If you liked this article please visit us at: http://www.Mystorystudios.com
